Hotel News
May 6th, 2010
With the peak summer travel season right around the corner and plenty of TICKET readers busy planning their trips, we’ve put together an array news and tools to help you make the right decision. Happy planning!
CONSUMER REPORTS RATES HOTELS. There are all kinds of hotel ratings and rankings and lists out there…so many in fact, that I sorta glaze over when I read about them. However, when Consumer Reports ranks hotels, I prick up my ears. Its ratings are based on the experiences of nearly 28,000 CR readers regarding their hotel stays between January 2008 and April 2009. 
You’ve got to subscribe to the magazine for the full report (June 2010 issue), but here are a few nuggets: Ritz-Carlton (no surprise) placed at the top of the “Fanciest” category. For “luxury” hotels, Renaissance (Marriott) and Embassy Suites ranked highest, Sheraton lowest. In the “upscale” category, Homewood Suites (Hilton) came out at the top, Radisson at the bottom. For moderate hotels, Drury Inn & Suites ranked highest and Howard Johnson ranked lowest. (Have you ever stayed at a Drury Inn?? If so, please leave a comment. I’m not familiar with this chain and I’m curious!) In the budget category, Microtel ranked best and America’s Best Value Inn ranked worst.
CR SAYS IT PAYS TO HAGGLE WITH HOTELS. From the article that accompanied the Consumer Reports hotel ranking: “Only 35 percent of respondents tried to negotiate for a better deal, but those who did were rewarded with a lower rate or room upgrade 80 percent of the time. That’s a slightly higher success rate than readers experienced in our 2006 survey. Those who called ahead to do their haggling were even more successful than those who tried to negotiate in person.” What’s your experience with haggling with hotels? Leave your comments below.
The Ellis on Peachtree
HOTEL INDUSTRY INSIDERS’ TOP PICKS FOR 2010. Since 2007 Expedia has produced the annual Insider’s Select List, an excellent resource for those blindly seeking a good hotel in an unknown city. Why do I like it? Because the selection is based on three factors: first, of course, it incorporates user reviews…but since user reviews are not always such a great gauge, they also include input from Expedia’s 400 local hotel market managers who know what’s hot and what’s not in their hometowns. They also use a value rating of each hotel, which compares the hotel’s average rate with that of comparable properties in the market. Combined, those three factors churn out some very reliable winners. In typical Expedia fashion, hotels are easily searchable by region, country and city. (In Atlanta, the top four hotels are: The Ellis on Peachtree, The Omni at CNN Center, the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead and the Ga. Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Midtown.) Disclosure: I was editor of Expedia Travel Trendwatch 2005-2009.
DESPERATELY SEEKING FREE WI-FI. It’s getting easier and easier to find free Wi-Fi at hotels these days as operators are finally tuning in to the fact that business travelers see it as a necessity and expect it to be included in the rate. But every now and then you get a big surprise when you have to pay $15 a day for the convenience. To help avoid that, the good folks over at hotelchatter.com have produced an exhaustive list of hotels with and without free Wi-Fi.
SPEAKING OF FREE WI-FI. Did you know that if you simply join frequent stay programs at Fairmont, Kimpton or Omni hotels you’ll get free Wi-Fi access? All you have to do is sign up. Other full-service brands such as Marriott, W (Starwood) and Hilton only offer free Wi-Fi to top-tier members of their programs.
SUMMER HOTEL BONUSES: The “Big Four” hotel chains have come out with their summer promotions and they are looking pretty good. Here’s a rundown:
>MARRIOTT: Marriott Rewards members earn a free night for every third stay at any of its 3200 hotels between June 1 and August 31. Marriott will also toss in a certificate for a $10/day discount on Hertz. Free stays are good through December 31 in Category 1-4 hotels only. Register here.
>MARRIOTT AND DELTA. SkyMiles members who stay at any of Marriott’s 3200 “participating” hotels worldwide between May 1 and September 6 will earn a whopping 5000 bonus SkyMiles beginning with the second stay. (Max: 60,000 miles) Register here.
>STARWOOD: Starwood is offering a free weekend (Fri, Sat or Sun) night after every three stays. However, Starwood’s earning window is earlier than Marriott’s: May 1-July 31. Free nights are good through December 19. What makes this a better offer, though, is that the free nights are good a ALL Starwood hotels in Categories 1-6 which even includes some of the pricey St Regis properties. Register here.
>PRIORITY CLUB (InterContinental): Members earn double Priority Club points OR airline miles OR up to $500 in gift cards starting with their second stay at any of the chain’s 4400 hotels worldwide. Good for stays from May 14 through August 31. Double points or miles awarded beginning with second qualifying stay. Gift cards are good at Best Buy, Home Depot, Target and others. Register here
>HILTON: According to a blog post by Hilton’s new CEO Chris Nassetta, all Hilton brands (3.500 hotels) will offer a “up to a 30% discount” plus free breakfast for stays between May 28 and September 6. (Details should be posted on Hilton.com site starting May 10.) Interesting aside: In the post, Nassetta points out that Hilton HHonors “enrollment from January to March 2010 were the highest enrollment levels for the program during those months within the last four years.” Why is that interesting? Because in January, Hilton increased its award redemption levels by about 25 percent, which got it a lambasting by travel media.
24 BRAND NEW HOTELS IN NEW YORK? You betcha. Check out this list and see how many you know of. Interesting to note how many of them are midscale and on the western side of the city.
- The Standard New York (SEE PHOTO BELOW) Full-Service 335 848 Washington Street Greenwich Village Jan 2009
- Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca Select-Service 150 6 York Street Tribeca Jan 2009
- Hotel Reserve Select-Service 116 20 Maiden Lane Financial District Jan 2009
- Ace Hotel New York Full-Service 262 20 West 29th Street Chelsea Mar 2009
- Fairfield Inn Manhattan/Times Square Limited-Service 244 330 West 40th Street Midtown West Mar 2009
- Hilton Garden Inn – West 35th Street Select-Service 298 63 West 35th Street Garment District Mar 2009
- Smyth Tribeca – A Thompson Hotel Boutique 100 85 West Broadway Tribeca Mar 2009
- West 57th Street by Hilton Club Timeshare 161 102 West 57th Street Midtown West May 2009
- Four Points by Sheraton Midtown Select-Service 244 326 West 40th Street Midtown West Jun 2009
- Comfort Inn Manhattan Bridge Limited-Service 60 61-63 Chrystie Street Nolita Jun 2009
- Hampton Inn Times Square South Limited-Service 184 337 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
- Holiday Inn Express Times Square Limited-Service 210 343 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
- Candlewood Suites Times Square Extended Stay 188 339 West 39th Street Garment District Jul 2009
- Hotel Indigo Chelsea Select-Service 122 127 West 28th Street Chelsea Jul 2009
- Doubletree New York – Chelsea Full-Service 237 128 West 29th Street Chelsea Jul 2009
- Comfort Inn Midtown West Limited-Service 70 343 West 44th Street Midtown West Aug 2009
- Ink48, a Kimpton Hotel Full-Service 222 653 11th Avenue Midtown West Sep 2009
- Crosby Street Hotel Boutique 86 79 Crosby Street SoHo Oct 2009
- Club Quarters World Trade Center Full-Service 421 140 Washington Street Financial District Nov 2009
- The Strand Hotel Full-Service 177 33 West 37th Street Garment District Dec 2009
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Manhattan Limited-Service 92 21 West 37th Street Garment District Dec 2009
- Andaz New York – Wall Street Hotel + Condo 253 75 Wall Street Financial District Jan 2010
- W NY-Downtown Hotel & Residences Hotel + Condo 217 123 Washington Street Financial District Feb 2010
- The Distrikt Hotel – Ascend Collection Select-Service 155 342 West 40th Street Midtown West Feb 2010
Source: Hotelresource.com
The new Standard Hotel on the west side of Chelsea straddles the new High Line Trail (photo: C. McGinnis)
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Sent via email from CT:
Drury Hotels provide good service at an attractive price. Love the free breakfast and two free coupons for drinks at Happy Hour. (Not just beer and wine). Usually good locations with the entire property fenced with a heavy iron fence. At a couple hotel sites they had an attendant at the parking lot to check your hotel key or a they had a security gate that opened with your room key. Felt very secure with parking system. At a reunion of retired employees, they gave a free meeting room and allowed us to bring our own bar and snacks without any charge.
Sent via email by LP:
Christopher, I have stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel in San Antonio. It is rated number “1″ out of 325 hotels in San Antonio by tripadvisor.com. It is located in the old Art Deco Alamo Bank building near Riverwalk. A wonderful hotel. My understanding is the Drury family is very conservative and they do not allow porn on tv’s in their hotel. I noticed it seemed to be very family friendly. I was impressed by the customer service. The check-in area is the old bank teller cage area.
My wife and I have stayed at several Drury Inns, which have been clean, well run, and offer very good breakfasts. We particularly recommend that travelers try out at least one of the Drury’s hometown operations in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a charming Mississippi River town with some excellent eating establishments of its own.
Christopher, one of the tackiest ways to get a great rate at a hotel is to call them, ask for the front desk, and ask which company has gives them the most business. If you get an answer, you know whose corporate rate to ask for. You are almost never asked for ID but if are, give them your business card and tell them you are there for meetings with the company’s travel coordinator. That can be good for both the corporate rate AND an upgrade.
Speaking of business cards, I came out of a meeting at Barclay’s at Canary Wharf and on the way to the tube passed J M Lewin shirtmaker. I went and and asked if they had a special rate for Barc’s employees. Yup – 2 for the price of 3. I handed them the card of the guy I had visited and got some very nice shirts.
I’ve stayed in several Drury properties in TX and MO. “Kimpton gone Midwestern” is a good way to describe them. They focus on a small but devoted clientele, they offer excellent customer service, and many of their hotels consist of renovated historic properties. I prefer the character and service of a Drury over a cookie-cutter mainstream hotel anyday.